In Saudi Arabia, 35 Foreigners Dead As Bus Collides With Excavator

In Saudi Arabia, 35 Foreigners Dead
As Bus Collides With Excavator

RIYADH: Thirty-five foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near the Muslim holy city of Medina, Saudi state media said on Thursday. The accident on Wednesday involved a collision between "a private chartered bus... with a heavy vehicle (loader)" near the western Saudi Arabian City a spokesman for Medina police said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Those involved were Arab and Asian pilgrims, according to local media, who carried pictures of the bus engulfed in flames and with its windows blown out.

The injured have been transferred to Al-Hamna Hospital, SPA added, and authorities have launched an investigation.

The accident comes after four British pilgrims were killed and 12 others injured in Saudi Arabia when their bus collided with a fuel tanker in April 2018. They were on their way to the holy city of Mecca.

In January 2017, six Britons, including a two-month-old baby, were killed in a minibus on their way to Medina after making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

As part of efforts to diversify its oil-dependent economy, the ultra-conservative kingdom wants to foster a year-round religious tourism sector that includes millions of pilgrims.

Up until last month, the country only issued visas to Muslim pilgrims, foreign workers and recently to spectators at sporting or cultural events, but tourists are now allowed to visit as part of the drive to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era.

In September 2015, a stampede killed up to 2,300 worshippers -- including hundreds of Iranians -- in the worst disaster ever to strike the Hajj annual pilgrimage.

Earlier that month, 100 people were killed when a construction crane toppled into a courtyard of Mecca's Grand Mosque.

Swami Aseemanand, 4 others acquitted in 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case

Swami Aseemanand, 4 others acquitted in
2007 Mecca Masjid blast case

Hyderabad: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court at Nampally in Hyderabad on Monday, 16^th April 2018, acquitted five accused, including Nabha Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Aseemanand, in the case of the bomb attack on the Mecca Masjid 11 years ago for lack of evidence.

The blast, using an improvised explosive device, killed nine persons inside the masjid near the historic Charminar of Old City.

The others acquitted are Devendra Gupta, Lokesh Sharma, Bharath Mohan Lal Rateshwar and Rajendra Choundary.

The NIA had originally charged 10 persons with plotting and carrying out the attack on May 18, 2007.

Accused Sunil Joshi of Madhya Pradesh, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, was murdered when the case was investigated.

Two other accused, former RSS pracharak Sandeep V. Dange and RSS activist and electrician Ramchandra Kalsangra, also from Madhya Pradesh, have been eluding the investigators.

Investigations against two others from the same State, Tejram Parmar and Amith Chowhan, are continuing.

The verdict was pronounced amidst tight security around the Nampally Courts Complex. where all the accused were present.

Police restricted the movement on roads leading to the court. Vehicles were directed to be parked more than a kilometre away from the court hall.

Earlier, mediapersons staged a sit-in outside the court’s gates after being restricted by police from entering the complex.